A US medical team has reconstructed a 3D bioimplant human ear made of a patient’s tissue. This pioneering procedure can be used to treat people with rare birth defects. The implant surgery was a part of an early-stage clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of the implant. AuriNovo, the implant was developed by 3DBio Therapeutics, while the surgery was performed by Arturo Bonilla, Director of Microtia-Congenital Ear Deformities Institute, Texas.

Bonilla stated that the current therapies can be replaced by the implant which includes either grafting cartilage from a patient’s rib or using synthetic materials to reconstruct the outer ear. The procedure involves 3D scanning the patient’s other ear to create a blueprint followed by collecting samples of cartilage cells and growing them in a suitable environment.

The implant is supposed to mature over time developing the natural look, elasticity, and feel of a regular ear. According to the 3DBio Therapeutics, 3D printed implants can also be used for other conditions involving the cartilages such as nose defects or injuries, breast reconstruction, damaged meniscus in the knee, or the rotator cuff in the shoulder.